Over the past decade, airline passengers have fallen in love with the A380, the aircraft from Airbus that has set such high standards of comfort that it is known as the hotel in the sky. The news that Airbus is to halt production of the world's largest commercial aircraft will therefore, perhaps, come as a surprise to many of the 200 million people who have enjoyed the experience of flying on the double-decker superjumbo jet to date. The reasons for its demise are many and complex. With design and production schedules stretching over years, the airline industry is always vulnerable to faster-paced economical and technological changes. When it entered commercial service in 2007, with a capacity of anything from 450 to 853 passengers, the A380 was the perfect solution for airlines struggling to find landing slots at increasingly overcrowded airports. With Dubai expanding rapidly to become the world's busiest international air hub, the A380 was a natural fit for Emirates airline, which became Airbus's biggest customer.
Now, however, like so many technological innovations before it, the A380 has run into the headwinds of change. Many airlines, including Emirates, are increasingly sensitive to environmental issues and are taking advantage of rapid innovations in engine design and construction materials to switch to smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft. Airbus is a beneficiary of this strategic rethink. It has a bulging order book for its smaller aircraft and last year saw revenue climb from Dh244 billion in 2017 to more than Dh263 billion. Emirates’ decision to significantly reduce its original order of A380s might have sealed the aircraft’s fate but in its place it has ordered 70 of Airbus’s lighter, more fuel-efficient models.
The A380 is a revolutionary aircraft that set new standards of comfort and pushed back the frontiers of technology, introducing innovations that continue to influence aircraft design. It will leave its contrails in the sky and its mark on the industry for years to come. Its demise is not a story of failure. Rather, it is one more chapter in the story of human ingenuity, a record of relentless progress that in the field of aircraft design has seen constant innovation since the day the Wright brothers briefly took to the skies 116 years ago.
The biog
Favourite film: Motorcycle Dairies, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Kagemusha
Favourite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude
Holiday destination: Sri Lanka
First car: VW Golf
Proudest achievement: Building Robotics Labs at Khalifa University and King’s College London, Daughters
Driverless cars or drones: Driverless Cars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
- Bombshell – 1
- Hair Love – 1
- Jojo Rabbit – 1
- Judy – 1
- Little Women – 1
- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
- Marriage Story – 1
- Rocketman – 1
- The Neighbors' Window – 1
- Toy Story 4 – 1
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
